Non-woven fibrous webs are used as a component of quilts. In the process of making a quilt, at least three component layers are typically placed together: (1) a pieced top fabric, (2) a batt, and (3) a backing. The batt is the layer that provides loft to the quilt and is located between the top fabric and the backing. The batt is a non-woven fibrous web and typically includes cotton, polyester, or a combination of cotton and polyester. Additionally, the batt may be made of other fibers, such as wool or rayon.
As described above, the non-woven web of the batt is positioned between the top fabric and the backing of the quilt. The top fabric and/or the backing are then affixed to the batt in order to aid in completing the quilt. For example, pieces of top fabric including patterns for the quilt may be attached to the batt in order that one may draw or cut around the pattern. Additionally, finished patterns may be temporarily positioned on the batt by various methods and subsequently permanently affixed thereto by intricate stitching. Prior to the final intricate stitching, the backing material, the non-woven web of the batt and the top fabric are mechanically bonded together. This mechanical bonding process is known as basting. Some methods of basting include pins, large stitches, and plastic tabs. However, these current methods of basting suffer from several drawbacks.
First, pins are difficult to use in that they are unwieldy and their use is time consuming. For example, should a pattern be incorrectly placed on and pinned to the non-woven fibrous web of the batt, any removal and replacement of the pattern requires the removal and replacement of all pins. Not only is this a time consuming process but the handling of pins can result in a user sticking and injuring himself or herself. Second, large stitches also suffer the drawback of being time consuming due to their relative permanence as a method of fixation. For example, should a pattern be incorrectly placed and stitched to the non-woven web, any correction requires cutting away and removing the large stitches, repositioning the pattern, and reaffixing by stitching. Third, plastic tabs also suffer many of the same drawbacks due to their relative permanence in fixation. These plastic tabs are generally applied by a tab gun which directs the tab through the backing material, batt, and top fabric. Like pins and large stitches, any repositioning of fabric requires the removal and replacement of the plastic tabs.
Other methods of affixation have been developed which do not relatively permanently affix the adjacent surfaces of batt and fabric. However, these methods suffer from other drawbacks. An example of one such method is the use of weights. In this method, a top fabric will be positioned on top of the batt and held in place by weights. Although the weights are not as time consuming or unwieldy to remove and replace as pins or large stitches, there remain several drawbacks associated with their use. First, since the weight system does not directly fix the pattern to the backing material, the pattern may easily shift during use. Second, it is very difficult to cut around patterns upon which weights have been placed, because any movement of the material or the weights may cause the pattern to shift.
It is clear that current methods of affixing top fabrics, batts, and backing materials one to another to form a quilt suffer from many drawbacks. Thus, it would be desirable to have a non-woven fibrous web for a batt that sufficiently adheres to a material backing or fabric patterns without the time consuming problems inherent in pin placement or other methods of basting. Additionally, it would be desirable for such a non-woven web to be easily separated from the backing material or fabric patterns in the event of incorrect placement. Finally, it would be desirable for the non-woven web to easily be readhered to the surrounding fabric following repositioning.